New to the Club - '64 Split Window Camper

[Waterborn]

Well it seems after searching and not pulling the trigger for close to ten years I have FINALLY joined the VW club with this 1964 Split Window Camper. I am a complete neophyte to both this forum and owning a VW, so if I do something wrong, please be gentle and correct me accordingly. I hope to take possession of this puppy next week. Engine and trans have just been overhauled and I look forward to putting some personal touches on this vehicle. So much to learn, so much to do I don't know where to start. I have been diving deep down the Samba rabbit hole looking for inspiration and info.

A few plans that I have so far:

* Learn how to be ready for any regular mechanical issues.
* Redo the cabinets inside (have a wood working genius of a friend to help me with this)
* Get a full length rack fabricated (I surf and do a ton of camping/road trips), hoping to include rear corner ladders as part of this.
* Thinking about putting in safari windows (live in south FL and it's HOT down here).
* Figure out a AC solution that won't break the bank and/or mess with original state of vehicle (thinking of some solar options).
* Confirm that I have all parts for the side shade and look into getting a full tent/canopy.
* Take her to my first VW meeting/swap event (looking at Bulli Brigade this fall).

Going to keep the original paint on the body, but considering cleaning up and painting the bumpers and maybe doing a few highlights (thoughts?). I want to keep this camper as original as possible.

[sgellis]

Welcome!

Looks like a nice bus. Don't be shy posting photos.

[mandraks]

Do you know what the original paint was? some sort of red visible in the engine compartment?

look at your mcode plate, it will show you what color was original.

Bumpers and Wheels were silver white, which also looks nice.

The camper windows you have are my favorite as far as looks go.

Safaris may be your only choice for Air Conditioning. They also leak when it rains.

AC while you are driving? or AC while you are parked at the beach? In the latter case you definitely need to invest in a small, super quiet, fuel efficient (honda?) generator. Solar will never pull your AC.
_________________
regards

Uli

----------------------------------------
'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[mandraks]

[easy e]

Congratulations & welcome aboard.
Your pointy ended rear bumper & windshield washer squirrel nozzles hint that it may be a 1965 model bus (built after July ‘64).
We can tell you more detail with a pic of the M-code plate.
e
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List

[oakman]

Congratulations!! You have an early Alabama Camper made by Miller Wood and Metal Products in Mt. Olive, Alabama. There are some differences between the early and later campers, but your sliding closet, headliner wood, and of course the huge tent mounts give it away.

Here's a thread on my old 67' Alabama Camper with lots of info buried in it.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=595804&highlight=montgomery

Good luck! Looking forward to following along.
_________________
Brandon

[flemcadiddlehopper]

Awesome Bus, good score.

This is the right place to be. The people on here are the most helpful you'll find anywhere and you'll have a vast amount of pooled knowledge in the stickies to help you out also. As well as all the classified ads to sift through.

So, start posting.

Gordo.
_________________
Everybody Dies....Some Never Live.

Retrograde Garage. Vintage Aircooled, and others.

[nineteensixtyfiveVG]

[Waterborn]

Thanks for the welcome and all the info! So many threads to read, so little time. Reading through Oakman's post now and loving it. I meant to grab a pic of the mcode plate yesterday. Did not realize it would list original color (I did see the mcode sticky but just glazed through it briefly). Anyway, I can't wait to meet some fellow vw owner's and pick their brains. What I love about having a bus is the amount of personalization that I will be able to do over time. So stoked.

[Waterborn]

[easy e]

Squirters weren’t standard equipment until ‘65 model (and that round style wasn’t used past ‘65).

Your front bumper has a “slash” end. ‘59-‘64 had a slash rear. “Pointed” end bumpers appeared in ‘65... but only on the rear. ‘66 (and ‘67) had pointed end style on the front & rear.

The very tip top #1 thread in the Split Bus forum is called the FAQ thread (Frequently Asked Questions). Tons of key info.
There’s one there called Bumpers and Bumper Trim
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List

[Waterborn]

Thanks for the input. Definitely been making my way through the splittie FAQ. Had about 8 windows open this am. Will check out the bumper Thread when i get back home. What amazes me about busses is the variability in styles. It can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. Is there a good reaource that has pics of each year/make/style? Have done some searching here and on the internet in general but haven’t found anything comprehensive yet.

[Waterborn]

[Waterborn]

On a side note, as I mentioned in my top post, I have been looking for a bus for close to a decade. As a result, I have also accumulated a good bit of VW Bus art, mostly given to my by my wife. I guess until now it was her way of giving me a little piece of the bus culture to keep the dream alive. Here are my two favorite pieces.

This plaque is over our front door.

My wife snagged this painting on wood at a local art festival and somehow kept it hidden from me until my birthday 6 months later.

[Waterborn]

Going through some of the other restore threads and saw that some of these campers came equipped with dry ice boxes. I REALLY want to install one on my bus. Currently it has a cabinet where the sink/ice boxes usually go (?) - behind the passenger seat. I’ve searched samba some and have not found any threads on the subject but let me know if i missed something.

[oakman]

[easy e]

[oakman]

[Waterborn]

Easy, now I get it! That side view pic is what drove it home for me, thatnks!

[Waterborn]